Sleeve-type carriers are commonly used to package articles, such as beverage containers. Such a carrier is typically formed from a generally rectangular paperboard production blank which has been folded and glued by the blank manufacturer to form an interim collapsed carrier sleeve consisting of connected top, bottom and side panels and foldably attached end panel flaps. This flat interim product is comprised of two layers connected to each other by leading and trailing folds and is introduced to an automatic packaging machine which opens the semi-formed blank into sleeve shape, inserts the products to be packaged into the sleeve and forms the end panels by gluing together the end flaps.
The manner of opening collapsed carrier sleeves has been carried out in a variety of different ways, often employing lugs or other structure to push the leading folded edge of the collapsed carrier against an unyielding surface, causing the unit to fold up into sleeve form. While such methods are successful in erecting collapsed carrier sleeves, the required apparatus is often quite complicated, leading to undesirable operational and maintenance problems, and further is normally designed so that it is limited to erecting carriers of one particular size. If different size carriers are to be run, a different packaging machine designed to handle that particular size carrier often must be used, or if the same machine can be used for different size carriers, it is normally necessary to reposition all the erecting elements, which can be a very exacting and time consuming operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a carrier erecting system that can be employed to erect carriers of varying sizes with only minor adjustments to the apparatus. Another object is to provide such a system which is inexpensive and is simple to maintain and operate.